Raila: National govt must stop micromanaging counties
By Aloys Michael, August 14, 2025ODM leader Raila Odinga has called for a more deliberate and equitable transfer of resources and power from the national government to the counties, warning that the promise of devolution risks being undermined by weak implementation and centralised control.
His remarks come at a time when county governments have been calling for increased budget allocations and a more efficient flow of funds from the National Treasury.
Speaking on Thursday, August 14, 2025, at the Devolution Conference in Homa Bay, Odinga said devolution must go beyond tokenism and become a tool for genuine empowerment of local communities.
“We need to watch the transfer of power and resources from Nairobi. We have to continuously ensure local communities have access to the devolved power and resources and have the power to decide where funding goes and how the services and projects are run,” he said.
Raila, a key architect of Kenya’s 2010 Constitution that ushered in devolution, emphasised that the goal was to give counties not just responsibilities but the means to carry them out.
“Devolution is a process, not an event. It is about finding a balance between national and local aspirations. Local governments must have the freedom to determine their priorities,” Raila stated.
“Our counties will either be engines of innovation or bottlenecks of frustration: the choice is ours, and we must choose boldly. We must continue to push the National Government to stop micromanaging counties and to devolve power and resources. This, however, is not a call for war between the two levels of government.”
Development disparities
He criticised the lingering top-down approach to governance, where development decisions are still largely made in Nairobi, often without the involvement of the people most affected.
Highlighting the importance of regional collaboration, Raila also encouraged the devolved units to work together rather than view each other as rivals.
“We want to see Wajir, for instance, having more collaboration with Garissa, or Machakos with Kajiado, and complement each other instead of competing for destruction,” he said.
Odinga also pointed to development disparities, noting that infrastructure like international airports and railways is still concentrated in a few counties.
“Kisumu has an international airport and a railway line; Homa Bay does not have a railway line or an international airport,” he observed.
“This must be part of the broader conversation on equitable development.”